Rising Trends in Online Dating (Jan-Jun 2010) The link between online dating and beauty products Bickey Russell, Senior Industry Analyst, Google UK Elizabeth Song, Analyst Intern, Google UK

1. Dating trends leave a lipstick trail As women head online for romance, they also tend to search on Google with greater frequency for cosmetic products – perhaps in search of ways of improving their chances of standing out in the dating pool! As the graph below illustrates, searches for cosmetics and online dating have shown a historically close correspondence, mirroring seasonal changes over the past several years. The indexed search volumes for top search terms in cosmetics (including terms such as “mac cosmetics,” “avon,” “make up tips”) have largely followed corresponding figures for queries related women seeking men (e.g. “single men in London”, “find boyfriend”).

Source: Google internal data for indexed query volumes

2. Love and beauty as recession-proof commodities In the months after the September 11th attacks, Leonard Lauder of Estee Lauder coined the term “lipstick index” to describe how women continued to purchase high-impact beauty products during times of economic uncertainty. This “lipstick indicator” has held true throughout the recession, with Mintel research showing that beauty product sales in the UK grew 30% between 2004 and 2009 from £7.4 billion to £9.6 billion, in contrast to a dismal 9% for clothes and shoes during this period. The recession also represented a period of growth for online dating. Unique visitors to dating websites grew by 20% in 2008 when the economy was at its most uncertain, compared with 9% growth the year before (source: Nielsen/Telegraph 04 Jan 2009).

Google UK – October 2010 Disclaimer: This report is for informational purposes only. Google makes no warranties, express, implied or statutory as to the information in this document. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user.© 2010 Google. All rights reserved.

Source: Mintel market research data

3. What lipstick can tell us about love Unlike luxury goods such as designer handbags, cosmetics continue to fly off shelves because British women are still intent on looking their best as well as attracting future partners – two industries that have quite clearly continued to thrive during uncertain economic times. Rising interest in cosmetics and the desire for a more attractive look mean that women are increasingly willing to enter the dating market as they feel more confident about themselves and their appearance. As a result, continued growth in this sector also represents a positive indicator for the dating sector.

Google UK – October 2010 Disclaimer: This report is for informational purposes only. Google makes no warranties, express, implied or statutory as to the information in this document. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user.© 2010 Google. All rights reserved.